I feel like I've been writing this story hour since the dawn of time. Is that normal? I also feel like my eyes burn and my head wants to explode. Is that a standard happening for novice story hour writters?
I now give you Chapter 6, what I consider one of the best so far, of the few that I've created.
Chapter 6
In the name of House Kashtar
The road had turned from a simple dirt path into a vast, muddy pathway full of puddles and rocks to make it even more obnoxious to traverse. After the second day of traveling, a storm had broken without warning, and it had transformed the hills into a swamp overnight. Everyone's boots (and the shaman's bare feet) were caked in the sticky brownish substance all the time, and they knew it would be pointless to bother washing it away, since the next couple of miles were in the same depressing condition as the section of the road they were at.
Kahleen walked in-between the two men, and so far hadn't complained about the road's condition or given any hints that she was annoyed bit it. Both Gilliam and Vincent glanced her way at some point, almost expecting her to put aside her silent demeanor and begin to preach to them about dealing with the muddy road and weaving analogies between their journey and life.
But the wizened woman remained silent, no teachings forthcoming from her. At least not at the time.
The same thing could be said of both squire and bodyguard, however, for the argument they had two nights ago had sundered the small link they had begun to share. It wasn't the kind of thing that would take time to mend, unfortunately, but the willingness of both men to bring it back.
“Do you think he'll accept the facts once we have a talk with Master Ender, the one who sent him in this mission?” Gilliam asked Kahleen as they sat at camp at night, while Vincent slept in his bedroll. They didn't bother to set up guards, since it was unlikely they would find more assassins, now that they had moved away from their intended goal, alive.
Kahleen had been watching the fire they had started when Gilliam talked to her, and she didn't remove her gaze from the flames while responding to the mercenary's question. “I say we wait for the egg to hatch, before we claim to have a chicken for dinner”.
Gilliam sighed wearily and looked away in the direction of the mountain range to the north. “What's with you shamans and all these animal analogies?”.
“It's merely the world that I am most used to, and thus the connections that I draw are related to the wild, more often than not”.
The fire began to weaken and Gilliam had to move the wood around to keep it going “I suppose there's some logic in that” he admitted. “Only time can tell how a man will react to life's challenges”.
“You wish him to face what his House did to him” Kahleen said. It wasn't a question.
The mercenary nodded, looking over Vincent's sleeping form as he did.
“Is it compassion or sympathy what drives your concern for him?” the shaman inquired, turning her head to face Gilliam.
“Maybe both” he replied absentmindedly, but a second later he blinked twice, as if confused “Now hold on, what do you mean by sympathy? How could I possibly-”.
“Relate to him?” she finished for him, smiling in a cunning way. “Why, weren't you part of an organized military group, once? I can tell by the way you talk, the way you move, and the way you fight. You didn't learn all those things from experience, but from training under the supervision of someone else. You were a knight, once, but with my limited knowledge of your cities and their factions, I don't know from where”.
“You're even smarter than I figured, shaman” Gilliam appraised with caution, his eyes slightly narrowed. “But I'm afraid that what I've left behind will remain in my memory and the memory of the one's involved only. No one else has to know the tragedies that I've been part of”.
“That's understandable” Kahleen replied with a nod. She didn't look perturbed by Gilliam's angry tone. “We all wish for our burdens to remain ours to carry on our shoulders, that's only natural”.
There was a moment of silence before the hermit continued with her words. “But remember this, Gilliam: very few can carry such weight with them for their whole lives and avoid getting crushed under it. When the opportunity to pass this weight to someone else arrives, do not hesitate to take it”.
“You don't know me, witch” Gilliam snorted and stood up from the rock he had been sitting on. “I can take my burden with me for my entire existence, if I so desire it, and there's no need for me to tell others of it” he glanced at her one last time and said “Leave me be” before storming off, moving away from the camp, intending to walk back to Seawall by himself, in the middle of the night.
He didn't do it, for some unexplainable reason, since after walking for a minute the mercenary stopped what he was doing and looked back at the fire he had started in the camp. Sitting next to it was the only person who had tried to help him. A part of Gilliam wanted to run back and apologize, but another, stronger side of him, cautioned him to avoid such a course of action.
“I can handle it” he said to no one in particular as he glanced back at the campfire. “I can handle anything. There's nothing in this life stopping me, not as long as I have the will to fight”.
The words would've sounded full of conviction to anyone else who heard them, but to Gilliam himself they resembled a lame excuse.
Gilliam walked back to the camp but said nothing to the shaman for the rest of the guard, until he went to sleep himself.
oOo
The next morning the three travelers got up to face another hard day of moving through mud, but none of them were about to complain, following Kahleen's example. Gilliam looked to be in a foul mood, not much better than Vincent's, and Kahleen remained in her classic relaxed state of being. It didn't seem like it was rubbing off either man, unfortunately.
For every step that they moved forward, the ground turned greener, as they returned to the lush pastures that surrounded the southwestern area of this territory, near Seawall. Thankfully, not everything was soaked from the storm, and so it was a far more pleasant journey than they had expected. Additionally, the march was faster, since they didn't have to take care to avoid slipping off the wet road at every step.
It only took them an additional one day and a half to make it to the gates of Seawall, also known as the City by the Sea. Its double metal gates each had the symbol of House Kashtar on them, the icons being practically twenty feet tall. It was the early morning when they reached the city gates.
The Honor Guard, the city's military power, guarded the door's with sentries placed on top of the walls and with additional men positioned by the gates themselves. Vincent saluted the guard that was closest to him as he passed, and the armored man gave a quick signal to the others in response after returning the salute, which made the gates seemingly open on their own for the trio to enter.
“Have you ever been to Seawall?” Gilliam inquired, without looking at Kahleen.
“Yes” she responded, pausing to admire the entrance. “It was a while ago, and it might be different than what I had seen back then”.
With nothing else to be said, both shaman and mercenary quickly followed after the squire of House Kashtar inside the metropolis. The city was shaped roughly like a rectangle, and its several districts had an almost identical shape. The Explorer's district, home of the Explorer's Guild, wass located in the center area, the busiest section without a doubt, while the Poor district, aptly named after the monetary status of its residents, resided in the southwest section, right next to the Port district, where the warehouses and docks were located.
The remaining districts were the Noble's area, where the upper class folk inhabited richly adorned, good looking houses and mansions; the Merchant's district was located adjacent to the Port district and the Explorer's district: it was designed this way for practical purposes, so that merchants could reach the port, the source of their goods; the Explorer's guild, a profitable place where to get connections with potential clients; and finally the Merchant's district itself, where the real business happened.
As they walked through the Explorer's district, busting with travelers, adventurers, and many other people, Gilliam exchanged his knowledge about the port city with Kahleen, mostly to see if there was something he was missing about the place. He had been around for more than a month, but for a city of this size a month wasn't nearly enough to know it full well.
Apparently, he knew as much of the area as the shaman did, and he was surprised that she was so knowledgeable of a 'civilized' land. “I would have expected you to be more... skittish, with the city's noise and population” he admitted.
The half-elf lady merely smiled “Few things can shake my resolve, child; this is not one of them”.
Gilliam left it at that, and decided to remain silent, at least until they reached their destination. The three reached House Kashtar's home after nearly an hour of walking: it was called Valor's Banner, a fortified keep with the symbol of the House proudly displayed in banners, which were placed on top of every tower and wall. The sight was empowering and spectacular, and such a grand display of craftsmanship gave pause even to those who resented authority. Gilliam couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret at seeing such a place, for it sparked fond memories of a military group he had formed part of.
Just like at the city gates, Vincent merely had to salute the guards at the entrance of the keep to gain access to its interior. The guards did eye Gilliam with some suspicion, but much to his surprise they bowed at Kahleen when she passed by them.
They followed Vincent across several rooms, each decorated in the same proud, military fashion, with ceremonial weapons and armor everywhere, along with paintings of notable leaders and members of House Kashtar. Several Honor Guards could be found throughout the fortress in several rooms, patrolling, chatting, or simply relaxing for a small period of time. Eventually, the group reached an exquisite oak door, with gold lines running through it to great effect.
“Master Ender's room” the elven squire announced as he stared ahead. “Do be mindful of his status as the Master of the Honor Guard. He is Pledged to House Dagoth, but his devotion to my House is not diminished by this”.
Within the deep recesses of Gilliam's mind, something clicked into place. He wasn't sure what it was, at the time, but it was connected to the Master of the Honor Guard.
“Is he your... relative, related through blood in any way to you?” Gilliam inquired.
“No. The Ender clan gives each and every member the name of the clan for a last name, and Draegen Ender is not connected to me through blood”.
“Very well then, let's face the man who sent us to Kahleen's house” the mercenary looked at the shaman as he said this, but the woman's expression was unreadable. Damn mystics and their obscure ways, he thought, but didn't say.
After knocking three times, a man's voice came from within the room ahead to allow them passage, and Vincent lead the way once more as he opened the expensive door in order to go inside.
Master Ender's room wasn't that much better than the rest of the keep, with the exception that there were trophies displayed within transparent glass cases on top of wooden stands. The room was quite spacious, offering about thirty feet from beginning to end in both dimensions. The owner's heavy wooden desk was placed opposite to the door, near the window, where beams of light illuminated the room naturally.
Draegen Ender was dressed as he always did, no matter when or where: he wore a magnificent suit of banded mail, the armor's texture being dark blue rather than pale gray, with the symbol of House Kashtar, a silver helm on a blue field, engraved on the center of the chest plate, occupying most of it. It was made out of one of the toughest minerals in the world, Divine Steel, and it was one of the priciest to obtain. The human's face was grave, absolutely serious, and he seemed the type to keep a professional appearance at all times. His black-grayish beard was cut short, and his hair was brushed backwards, like a raven's. He looked about fifty years old, but his physique indicated that he could still put up a fight. With anyone.
“Welcome back, squire Vincent” the man said after the three had entered the chamber and closed the door behind them. He was currently sitting behind his desk and had pushed aside some papers he was reading in order to look at his guests.
“Thank you, Master Ender” the squire returned with a salute. His movements were stiff, as he was clearly anxious to meet with the one who sent him in the mission to the hermit's house.
Vincent stayed there, standing upright on the spot, unmoving, waiting for his superior to continue.
Draegen saluted as well, and only then did he stand up from the chair and move around the desk to approach the trio “You have brought your bodyguard with you” he stated casually.
“Surprised that we're still alive after the two attempts on our lives?” Gilliam inquired with an annoyed look, arms folded across his chest. He could've sworn he heard Kahleen sigh right next to him.
“I'm glad you've both made it back” came the retort from the high ranking man.
Gilliam gritted his teeth and had to do his best to avoid adding swears to his words “I'm the man that your House hired to protect him,” he pointed at Vincent “from certain assassins that were on the way to the hermit, here” he finished with a gesture towards Kahleen, who simply nodded. “My name is Gilliam”.
The Master of the Honor Guard didn't look offended by the mercenary's tone and instead looked over at the hermit to smile at her “It's an honor to have you back, wise one” he offered with a salute. “I thank you, in the name of House Kashtar, for coming to offer your help”.
“No need, Master Ender; I'm merely repaying the favor that I owe to your fine House”.
Gilliam's mouth hung slightly open while Vincent's face was constrained with anxiety as he kept looking at Draegen, waiting for the right moment to voice the questions he had been meaning to ask since four nights ago.
“Now, back to your task, squire Vincent” Master Ender offered, turning his attention back to the elf “I take it, that with miss Kahleen here, you have been able to deliver the package?”.
“No sir, I wasn't able to fulfill the task I was given”.
Master Ender raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”.
Vincent swallowed once and took a deep breath. Gilliam was holding his, a couple of steps behind him.
“You see, Master Ender, there was no message, therefore I couldn't deliver it to the shaman”.
The leader of the city guard received these words and betrayed no emotion after processing them. “Indeed, a message that doesn't exist can't be delivered, that's perfectly understandable”.
“But tell me, squire, what of the assassins your bodyguard, here, mentions? Have you actually been attacked on your way to the hermit's cabin?”.
Vincent nodded. “Yes, sir. We were attacked twice, once by Barbarians, the second time by trained professionals at Kahl-I mean, the hermit's shack”.
“We have two witnesses for the first one, three for the second, will that be enough?” Gilliam inquired angrily while clenching his fists by his sides.
Draegen appeared to ignore the mercenary's question. “I see” he noted with a brief nod to Vincent. “Is there anything you wish to ask about your mission, now that it's concluded?”.
Gilliam stopped feeling furious for an instant, when it came to him that this man had well expected having to answer to Vincent's more important questions. In his mind, it didn't make any sense, though.
With his hands firmly by his sides, back straight and his chin up, Vincent opened his mouth “Why did I risk my life for a message that wasn't there in the first place, Master Ender?”.
The words were uttered with the utmost respect, but to the humble squire they still sounded brash and aggressive.
Just like Gilliam predicted, however, Draegen's expression seemed placid, as if he had indeed seen this coming. “A good question, squire, a very valid request for clarification” the man said, taking a seat back at his desk as he did. Folding his hands together, the old warrior began to talk.
“The purpose of your task was twofold: firstly, to verify if there was a group or faction interested in harming House Kashtar”.
Gilliam smiled triumphantly, since he had known it all after the fight with the sniper by the burning shack.
“Secondly, you were sent to bring the hermit, miss Kahleen, back to Seawall, to assist us. It so happens that House Dagoth's quarrel with House Ganellar is escalating by the day, and allied Houses on both sides are being drawn into the conflict. House Kashtar has supported House Dagoth for a long time, and it will continue to do so”.
“What about House Grugarch, the House of Men?” interrupted Gilliam. “The Barbarians that tried to kill us had weapons from that faction”.
“Grugarch is an ally of Ganellar, this isn't recent news. But the fact that they've contacted Barbarians to enforce their actions is... questionable, to say the least” the old man paused and closed his eyes as he considered this. “In any case, you have succeeded in both goals, squire Vincent, and thus I congratulate you,” he looked straight at the elf “and your bodyguard, Gilliam” his gaze moved over to the astounded mercenary “for the accomplishment”.
Silence enshrouded the room, then, and no one made a sound. Gilliam wasn't very pleased with the Master's words. Standing right across from Master Ender, Vincent didn't look satisfied, either.
The squire cleared his throat. “Excuse me, Master Ender, but...” he began unsteadily, mustering a great deal of courage to even dare to speak in front of a higher ranking man without permission “...why was I deceived about the true purpose of our mission? I had thought House Kashtar's ideals were of honor and respect, not about deceit and obscurity”.
Draegen Ender's visage hardened, then, and he stood up from his seat like an executioner who was about to get to his work with grim determination.
“Squire, if there's a good time in your life to learn this basic truth, that time is now, here, in this room” he placed each gauntleted hand upon the desk, leaning forwards “We live in a world where the honest and hardworking are preyed upon by the greedy and devious; where lies obfuscate the truth; where the goals of each one of us get smudged, darkened and obscured, all because we refuse to face our enemies in the proper way, whatever it might be”.
“Yes, Kashtar is the House of Honor, among other things; but the truth, painful as it is, leads us to recur to tactics that are without honor and less than worthy of our standards. This is done to preserve the ideals of our Noble House, not to condone such actions”.
Gilliam couldn't take it anymore and took a step forward. “How in the Hells do you intend to represent honor and integrity with lies and trickery?!” he shouted at Draegen.
“And how in the Hells do you intend to strive for justice and equality with no House at all, mercenary?!” the man shouted back, his booming voice backing up the conviction behind his words. “If we don't lure out our foes, how can we defend from them? How can we fight for honor when our enemies take a stab behind our backs, all because we refuse to face them through less than honorable means?”.
With a disgusted look and a couple of mumbled words, Gilliam turned and walked to the door. “Yeah, good luck with that” he turned the handle and pushed it open. “Your men will depart you as soon as they find out they're being used, like Vincent, here” Gilliam added without looking back.
The sound of the door being closed violently resounded within the room, leaving the three remaining occupants a bit shocked. Draegen Ender shook his head, then, and said “That man is a fool. A righteous well-intending fool, but a big fool nonetheless”.
Vincent didn't think he could understand those last words, but Kahleen did, all too well.
“Master Ender, if I may...?” the shaman said, for the first time in a long while, gesturing with a hand at the door.
“Yes, please do talk to him, miss Kahleen” the man replied with a nod and a quick smile.
While Kahleen left the room as well, Vincent realized he was the only one left besides Master Ender. The old leader seemed to read his mind, though, and asked “Anything else, squire Vincent?”.
This time, Vincent was smiling, troubled no longer. “No sir, not at all. Thank you for explaining this matter to me” he said with a salute.
“You now know, Vincent Ender, that in the name of House Kashtar, we must do all we can to preserve the House's ideals, even if we must go against them at times to do so. Survival comes first; honor, loyalty and courage come second”.
“For if there's no Noble House in which to base those values, how can we stand for them at all?”.